Staff Reports
The House of Representatives is making big moves, and boy, oh boy, is it causing some commotion! The $95 billion relief package for Ukraine and Israel is causing quite the stir because it includes a provision that would ban TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells off its ownership. And let’s just say, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is really making things happen with this bold move.
Revamped TikTok ‘ban’ rolled into foreign aid bill improves its chances of passing https://t.co/fWKqmlIfCR https://t.co/fWKqmlIfCR
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 18, 2024
Now, why all the fuss? Well, it turns out that TikTok has been under the microscope for possibly sharing user data with the Chinese Communist Party. Yikes! Not a good look, TikTok. Plus, it’s been accused of promoting some pretty sketchy stuff, like pro-Hamas content and things that could negatively impact teenagers, like promoting anorexia. Not cool, TikTok, not cool.
The new provision gives ByteDance a bit more time to make a move, now extending the deadline to nine months with a possibility of a three-month extension. But if they don’t make a change by then, it’s “buh-bye” to TikTok in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Some folks are saying this move by Johnson is a bit of a power play to avoid negotiations with the Senate. But hey, whatever works, right? The House is set to vote on this spicy package on Saturday, and if it passes, it’s off to the Senate. And you know what? President Joe Biden has already given a little nod to the idea, so it looks like smooth sailing ahead.
But hold on a minute! TikTok isn’t taking this lying down. They’re fighting back with a $3.1 million ad campaign, trying to tell Congress just how this move will hurt small businesses and stomp on freedom of speech. They’re no pushovers, that’s for sure.
And guess what? The people aren’t exactly in agreement on this whole TikTok ban thing. A poll found that 20% of folks are all for kicking TikTok to the curb, 27% say it’s okay if TikTok gets a new owner, and 31% say, “Leave TikTok alone!” So, it’s a real mixed bag of opinions out there.
Well, well, well, it looks like the drama surrounding TikTok isn’t going away anytime soon. And with the House making bold moves, it’s sure to be a bumpy ride.
